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Hashimoto’s and me – part 4…

January 14, 2020 by 121dietitian

I was reflecting this morning and realized wow, what a year 2019 has been. My best health year for the past 10!

Clinical work has grown and has become immensely intense with more and more patients attending with multiple and complex issues. With my good health these challenges are no longer draining and so I continue to train in new services and collaborate with excellent health professionals and institutions to offer my expertise.

My niche is certainly assisting people who have nutritional issues that may also affect their health negatively in ways they did not realise: Eating disorders, mental health and well-being, resistant weight, metabolic syndrome, gut health, fatigue, auto-immune conditions, hormonal issues, fertility, allergies, nutrigenomics, optimization of the workplace…..

I personally continue to follow my health programme to ensure that I remain optimised to keeps me tip-top. In addition I run with a running club and have completed several cross-country races and love Park run when I can ever get to it. (kids activities seem to dictate!)

Chronic illness is, I believe, like a jigsaw puzzle. Illness is complex and often can’t be completed/fixed in one go. In relation to chronic ill health, it can take several years for some people to manage this jigsaw – often following unscientific or expensive paths in desperation. The illness is often still there but the medications assists in just getting through the day. This way of living masks the underlying problems. Fixing the cause is King, and working with the body through its ups and downs is the only way out.

At 121 Dietitian, availing of a full assessment allows a a complete evaluation of you diet, lifestyle, sleep, inflammation, blood results. A bespoke detailed written programme is then provided – and a follow up to check how all is progressing. Positive results can be achieved in a few weeks. Fantastic for the client and the reason I love to go to work.

I look forward to every day and hope that I can help you too feel the same. If you need some advice or direction please email or call +44 (0) 7717392306.

The truth about nutritional supplements revealed

March 11, 2019 by 121dietitian

One of the most commonly asked questions we hear at 121 Dietitian is “What supplements should I be taking?” With this in mind, Director and Principal Dietitian Gillian Killiner discusses the topic of supplements and who should be taking what.

It might surprise you to learn that the term ‘dietary supplement’ actually applies to a wide group, including; vitamins, herbs, enzymes, amino acids, minerals, protein drinks, sport aids, weight loss pills, anti aging tonics etc.

According to a report in Optimum Nutrition Magazine, the nutritional supplement market in the UK in 2016 was valued at £431 million and this is expected to double in the next 5 years.

People in the U.K. take dietary supplements for a variety of different reasons. Athletes and bodybuilders may take supplements to gain performance improvements and to bulk up. Others take supplements to get protein and vitamins into their diets as part of an overall focus on a healthier lifestyle.

Pregnant and lactating women may take dietary supplements to provide enough nutrients to support their growing babies. Children from ages six months to five years may be given supplements to make certain that they are getting enough vitamins while they are growing. The government recommends that children in this age group are given supplements of vitamins A, C and D.

People also take dietary supplements to help lose weight, while older adults take supplements to help to maintain their health as they age.

This sounds and is, for the main part, acceptable. When supplements are advised and taken correctly, they can enhance an individual’s health and thus improve life outcomes and I am all for this when following an expert’s advice. However, this needs to be after a full health assessment.

What is most worrying is that I find frequently in my clinical practice individuals taking supplements for several years or maybe longer and they really have no idea the quality of the supplement they are taking (often cheap shop brand) the quantity of the ingredient dose they are taking and the risks associated with this or on the reverse that they might not be absorbing the ingredients at all.

Sadly, I have had several patients who have significant liver damage as a direct result of high dose supplementation taken for an extended period of time.

Truth be told, I am a supplement nerd and I am meticulous in sourcing the correct supplements for each individual based on their; health, lifestyle, age, sex, metabolic status and most importantly, blood test results.

The supplements that I select are chosen because they have:

No nasty chemicals which can often trigger additional issues with gut/skin health.
Selected for optimal dosage and from natural sources so the body can absorb them easily.
Purest for no toxicity.
Dose administered to assist their optimal absorption.
If using several supplements they are introduced over time to monitor for any reactions.

During the time a patient is with me, bloods and symptoms are monitored to ensure health is assisted and the supplements taken for the correct time frame at the correct dose.

So where does that leave you?

For those of you that do supplement:

Do remember you can’t expect supplements to take care of a bad diet or lifestyle – research has proven this to be more harmful.
If you take supplements please do consider there are positives and negatives to these and be aware that they could be unnecessary, toxic or just making expensive urine!
Don’t mix food supplements and medicines.
Some food supplements can interact with medicines. So if you are taking any medication, seek advice from either a GP or dietitian.

Your body is like a finely tuned engine of a car – all the parts have to work in harmony to ensure you are in top gear. Too much or too little of anything and your won’t be firing on all cylinders!

If you wish to discuss this further, please do not hesitate to contact us:

Email: info@121-d.local
Tel: 07717392306
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Top health tips for 2019

December 12, 2018 by 121dietitian

At 121 Dietitian, we firmly believe that small steps can always be taken to greatly improve our health.

Looking at the key areas of mental health, kids’ health and weight loss, here we share our top health tips for 2019….

Mental health

If you want instant improvements a few simple suggestions include:

Stay well hydrated: fluids, notably water and not caffeinated drinks allow the brain and body to function. If dehydrated you will become sluggish and metabolism slows down adding to a depressed state.
Avoid processed meals and snacks: Artificial, chemical laden foods will cause your body to build insulin resistance over time. High fructose syrups and sugars affect metabolism and cause low level inflammation, affecting Vitamin A and D levels, magnesium, copper and iron to name a few. This downward spiral negatively affects mental health and causes additional chronic illness.
Get adequate sleep: This is essential for brain health. Poor sleep is linked to physical problems such as a weakened immune system and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Sleep allows the brain to shrink and eliminate toxins that can build up and lead to Alzheimer’s. It also allows to repair and consolidation of memories.

Kids’ health

Nutrition and lifestyles are ever changing as kids grow. Peer pressure, advertising and increasing independence all contribute to choices made. To optimise growth, development and good mental stability, we recommend the following:

Encourage your kids to eat all together and most importantly with an adult – the more the merrier! A meal with family and friends allows a relaxed, enjoyable experience. It encourages children to eat more variety and not scoff!
Each week or month try a new healthy food, especially with vegetables and fruits. Make it fun, research the food chosen and rate different recipes.
When eating, turn the gadgets, phones and TV off. This will reduce the risk of mindless eating and thus obesity.
If your kids are eating many unhealthy snacks, try to reduce these over time. Use tasty protein/fat alternatives like nut butters, avocados, cheeses, eggs, seeds, greek yoghurt topped with a little natural sugars such as dark chocolate or berries, plenty of vegetables including peppers, celery, carrots, cucumber and make flaxseed wraps or oat buns.

Weight loss

Do not get caught up in kcal counting! The quality of your food is vital for providing satiety and happiness, better than any sugarless, fatless, processed biscuit.
Make sure you are not battling with a hormonal or nutritional imbalance. These can thwart your best efforts and really damage your confidence.
Always chew your food well and take time to enjoy what you eat. Getting the enzymes in your mouth involved will assist metabolism and send the correct signals from the gut to the brain to indicate fullness.
Avoid low fat/sugar processed foods where possible.
Eat a rainbow at each meal for nutrient density.
Alcohol provides liquid energy so be careful of how much you consume. It can negatively affect your weight loss goals.

If you have any concerns about how to get healthier please get in touch. We are experts in nutrition and able to assist you with all health issues. To book an appointment, click here.

Information checked & correct on 12th December 2018.

FODMAP Fiasco

September 11, 2018 by 121dietitian

Here, Gillian Killiner, Principal Dietitian at 121, discusses the Low Fodmap Programme and in particular, why seeking the help of a qualified and experienced Dietitian is key to implementing it successfully.

The Low Fodmap Programme has been around for over 10 years. I heard about it in its infancy and thought: “Wow! This is excellent for gut dysfunction and IBS”. And so in 2010/2011, I packed my bags and returned from Belfast to London on three separate weeks to go back to my training hospital, Guys and St Thomas’s to learn all about it – the first course of its kind outside of Monash University, Australia.

The work load was intense but exciting. After qualifying with my certificate in Low FODMAP practice, I took my first ~~guinea pigs~~ patients and we followed the information I had learned from the course. I can’t lie, it was hard work and over the 7 years I have been practicing the Low FODMAP programme daily, much has changed in the way I deliver, advise and support because everyone is different. My high success rate of 97% is due to my expertise of using the programme daily.

The gut is not just about absorption – it’s microbiota has a complex network of links to emotions, stress, activity, genetics, medical history, medication, lifestyle, food and fluids…

We as individuals are not all uniform and do not follow the same diet and lifestyle so this is the basis of my increasing frustration and the fiasco I find myself in.

People are coming to me more and more in desperation, telling me they have tried the Low FODMAP programme and it hasn’t worked. AhhHHHHH!! Another emotional boundary to cross.

I have found that with the programme’s popularity and success has come the internet dippers who take a bit from one website that they like and mix it with another and believe they have completed the programme. Wrong…

The other – and most frustrating way that these people are not succeeding – is that they are being handed a “sheet” from their Consultant or GP and left to get on with it. Excuse me… WHAT??? A little more respect to the programme please! A sheet will not get results but in fact dangerously add to people’s fears around food and restriction is dangerous in the wrong hands.

A patient came to me recently and had been told by a health food shop to avoid a major list of foods. She did so and over two years of carefully following the advice she back gravely ill, malnourished, depressed and still her stomach issues continued.

If you have a gut health problem that has not resolved with medication, dietary changes, or visiting a health shop to pay and hold two balls in the air and told to eat very little, don’t despair – do get in touch.

Gillian is an expert in all areas of Gut Health and provides a free, no obligation assessment prior to an appointment

For more information, call Gillian on: 07717392306 or email: info@121-d.local. Our NI clinics are located at Bannatyne Health Club, 106 Belfast Road, Holywood, BT18 9QY.

Nutrition & Surgery (Part 2)

May 4, 2018 by 121dietitian

In the follow up to part one of our Nutrition & Surgery focus (which you can read here), Director and Principal Dietitian Gillian Killiner, continues to discuss the key role that vitamins and minerals play in helping your body recover after surgery.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is required for recovery from surgery. It is commonly known as the anti-infective vitamin. It is central to normal functioning of your immune system. Vitamin A is also needed to maintain the integrity and function of your skin and mucosal cells.

When you enter a hospital or clinic for surgery, many things will stress you. You will also be exposed to bacteria and viruses that your system is not used to. Infection will quickly use up your vitamin A stores. In this way, infection starts a vicious cycle, because not enough vitamin A is related to increased severity and likelihood of death from infectious disease. It is important to go into surgery with a good supply of vitamin A in your tissues. You will need to continue taking enough vitamin A to keep those levels high.

Vitamin A rich foods include: beef liver, carrots, sweet potato, kale, romaine lettuce, apricots, broccoli, butter, eggs, cantaloupe melon and red pepper.

Vitamin E

The main function of vitamin E in humans is as an antioxidant. Vitamin E has been shown to improve immune system functions that decline as people age. It helps increase blood flow. It does this by preventing blood clots and relaxing blood vessel walls.

Vitamin E rich foods include: sunflower seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, mango, avocado, butternut squash, broccoli, spinach, kiwi and tomatoes.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin needed for normal calcium metabolism. You make vitamin D in your skin when you are in the sun without clothing or sunscreen. Vitamin D regulates your immune system function during times of stress. Adequate vitamin D levels are important for decreasing the risk of high blood pressure.

If you do not have enough vitamin D you will not absorb enough calcium. Then your body will steal calcium from your bones. This will increase your risk of osteoporosis and other health problems. Vitamin D deficiency causes muscle weakness and pain. Obesity increases the risk of vitamin D deficiency. Once vitamin D is made in the skin or ingested, it is deposited in body fat stores. Storage makes it less available especially to people with large amounts of body fat.

Vitamin D rich foods include: halibut, mackerel, salmon, rainbow trout, cod liver oil, sardines, tuna and eggs.

Iron

Iron is required for a number of vital functions, including growth, reproduction, healing, and immune function. You need the right amount of iron for hundreds of proteins and enzymes.

Iron rich foods include: spirulina, liver, beef, lentils, dark chocolate, spinach, sardines, black beans, pistachios and raisins.

Copper

You must have enough copper in your system for normal iron metabolism and red blood cell formation. Anemia is a sign of copper deficiency. Copper is required for you to be able to move iron to your bone marrow for red blood cell formation. Vitamin A deficiency will make iron deficiency anemia worse. Taking a combination of vitamin A and iron will protect you from anemia better than either iron or vitamin A alone.

Copper rich foods include: beef liver, shitake mushrooms, cashews, chickpeas, kale, cocoa powder, sesame seeds, quinoa, almonds, lentils and chia seeds.

Calcium

Calcium is the most common mineral in the human body. About 99 percent of the calcium in your body is found in your bones and teeth. The other one percent is found in your blood and soft tissue. The functions of calcium are so vital to survival that the body will steal calcium from your bones. It does this to keep blood calcium levels normal when your calcium intake is too low.

Calcium plays many important roles. It is vital in controlling the constriction (closing) and relaxation (opening) of your blood vessels. It also aids proper nerve impulses, muscle contraction, and release of your hormones.

Calcium is a key factor for good recovery from any surgery involving your bones.

Only about 30 percent of the calcium in your food is actually absorbed in your digestive tract. You lose a certain amount of calcium in your urine every day. This depends on how much caffeine you drink. Too much or not enough protein in your diet will affect your calcium absorption and the strength of your bones.

Calcium rich foods include: kale, sardines, yoghurt, broccoli, watercress, cheese, bok choy and almonds.

Magnesium

Magnesium plays important roles in the structure and the function of the human body. Over 60 percent of all the magnesium in your body is found in your bones. About 27 percent is found in muscle, while six to seven percent is found in other cells. Magnesium is required by many other nutrients, like vitamin D and calcium, to function properly.

Proper wound healing after surgery requires the right amounts of calcium and magnesium in the fluid around the cells involved in the injury. If you are having surgery that involves your bones, magnesium is very important for the best outcome.

Magnesium rich foods include: spinach, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds, almonds, black beans, avocado, yoghurt and banana.

Zinc

Zinc is an essential trace element for all forms of life. Zinc deficiency has recently been recognized by a number of experts as an important public health issue. A diet very high in grains like wheat can cause zinc deficiency.

You must have enough zinc to keep your immune system healthy. If you don’t have enough zinc, you are more likely to become ill from a number of different infectious bacteria or viruses.

Zinc rich foods include: lamb, pumpkin seeds, beef, chickpeas, cocoa powder, cashews, yoghurt, mushrooms, spinach and chicken.

Selenium

Selenium is a trace element that is essential in small amounts to the work of many other nutrients. This includes vitamin C, vitamin E, copper, zinc, and iron. It aids wound healing by regulating cell growth.

Your thyroid gland needs selenium for normal function. Thyroid hormone tells your body how fast to function. If your cells work too slowly, your healing from wounds and your daily tissue repair will not go well.

People who are low in selenium may be more likely to become ill when stressed by difficult events like surgery or exposure to bacteria and viruses.

Selenium rich foods include: Brazil nuts, halibut, sardines, beef, turkey, beef liver, chicken and eggs.

Overall, good nutrition will help you make the best of your surgery. If you are unsure of how to structure your intake to optimise and prepare/recover regarding your operation, contact Gillian Killiner at 121 Dietitian. Gillian is an expert in nutrition for health, pre and post surgery. She or one of her colleagues will be happy to assess and advise you. You can avail of there services at our Belfast clinic or online worldwide.

Information checked & correct on 16th May 2018.

Nutrition and Surgery (Part 1)

April 26, 2018 by 121dietitian

In the first of a two-part series, Director and Principal Dietitian Gillian Killiner, discusses the relationship between good nutrition and surgery and how this can help your recovery process.

Are you waiting for an operation? More and more people are spending months on waiting lists for minor and major surgery. Waiting when you are in pain or unable to function can have a devastating effect on your day to day abilities. If severe, your ailment can affect your job and income. These and many other issues related to surgery can negatively impact on your mood, your ability to eat, sleep, movement, your mental health and general well-being.

Surgery is a deliberate, skilful injury to your body which following, may take you several weeks or months to heal. Infections and blood loss are two possible complications that you will want to avoid.

While you are waiting for your procedure you can do your part to make sure you heal well without problems. You can do this by choosing the most nutritious diet well in advance of your hospital admission. Surgery is a big event. It makes sense to give yourself extra nutrition, so you can replace any blood loss and protect your immune system against infection. These same nutritional elements will repair your skin, nerves, blood vessels, muscle and bone and get you back on your feet again.

What do vitamins and minerals do for you?

The following are a snapshot of the major ones to assist your recovery:

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is the largest and most complex of all the vitamins. You need vitamin B12 so your body can create energy from your dietary fats and proteins. B12 is needed for you to make haemoglobin. It even helps your memory, mood and brain function.

Vitamin B12 deficiency affects about 15 percent of people over the age of 60. There are several reasons people are low in B12: age, alcohol, bacteria infection and certain drugs.

B12 rich foods include: beef, shellfish, cottage cheese, chicken, egg and nutritional yeast.

Folate

Folate plays a vital role in the work and growth of all your body cells. Not having enough folate causes problems in the cells. Some of your immune system white blood cells will be affected. If you do not take in enough folate you will experience fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath. Never take a folate supplement without making sure you have enough Vitamin B12.

Folate rich foods include: spinach, kale, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, beans and legumes (e.g. peas, blackeye beans), yeast and beef extracts, oranges and orange juice, whole grain foods, poultry, pork, shellfish and liver.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 is needed for the proper function of about 100 essential chemical reactions in the human body. People who are low in vitamin B6 have impaired immune function. This is especially true for the elderly. Sleep, pain, mood, memory, and clear thinking are also affected by a shortage of Vitamin B6. The stress of hospitalisation for surgery causes many people to lose sleep. Increased pain and mood changes are also common. You may find your appetite is changed when you are in the hospital. Vitamin B6 is important at this time.

B6 rich foods include: turkey, beef, pistachios, tuna, avocado, chicken, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine or thiamin)

Vitamin B1 plays a critical role in making energy from food. It is needed for your heart, digestive system, and nervous system. Your muscles especially need vitamin B1 to work properly.

Alcoholism is linked with a low intake of thiamine and other nutrients. If you drink large amounts of tea and coffee (even decaf), you may end up with not enough thiamine. This is because of the action of certain enzymes in these drinks.

Vitamin B1 foods include: nutritional yeast, seaweed, sunflower seeds, blackbeans, lentils, white beans, asparagus, sprouts.

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)

Riboflavin or Vitamin B2 is essential for changing the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in your food into energy in your cells. It also helps manage drugs and toxins in your liver.

If you do not have enough riboflavin you may not be able to absorb the iron, you need to make haemoglobin in your red blood cells. Riboflavin improves your ability to prevent or recover from iron-deficiency anaemia.

Food rich in B2 include: liver, seaweed, feta, almonds, tempeh, mackerel, eggs, tahini.

Vitamin B5

Pantothenic acid is essential to all forms of life. It is another of the vitamins you need in order to create energy from your food. Vitamin B5 will speed up wound healing. It can also increase the strength of scar tissue.

Vitamin B5 rich foods include: beef liver, avocado, sunflower seeds, duck, portobella mushrooms, eggs, salmon, lentils, plain yoghurt, broccoli.

Vitamin B3 (niacin)

Vitamin B3 is also called nicotinamide or nicotinic acid. It is required for the proper function of more than 50 enzymes. Without it, your body would not be able to release energy or make fats from carbohydrates. It’s important for insulin-dependent diabetes.

Vitamin B3 rich foods include: beef liver, chicken, tuna, lamb, salmon, sardines, turkey, white mushrooms.

Biotin

Biotin is one of the B-complex vitamins. It is needed for four important enzyme reactions in your body allowing cell growth and immune system protection against bacterial and fungal infections. If you do not have enough biotin it can lead to depression, a sense of tiredness, and weakness. You may also notice a rash on your face and numbness and tingling of your hands or feet.

If you have brittle fingernails or notice increased hair loss, you may be low in biotin.

Biotin rich foods include: liver, eggs, yeast, salmon, cheese, avocado, raspberries, cauliflower.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Unlike most mammals, humans do not have the ability to make their own vitamin C. You have to get the vitamin C you need through what you eat and in supplements. (These are not all the same and can do more harm than good.)

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant required to make collagen. Collagen is an important part of your blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bone. Vitamin C also plays an important role in making up your brain chemistry and is also needed to carry fat into cells for use as energy.

Your ability to heal after surgery will depend on having proper blood flow to the surgical site. Vitamin C will help you heal from the trauma that is part of your surgery. Vitamin C allows blood vessels to be relaxed and open. You will deliver the most amount of blood to your injured tissues if you have enough vitamin C. Blood flow to injured areas is central to how well we heal. After surgery your circulation will be slowed by inactivity. If you have atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, your blood vessels are less able to relax. This adds to the challenge of recovering after an operation.

Vitamin C rich foods include: kiwi, peppers, oranges, strawberries, pineapple, broccoli, sprouts, mango, tomatoes, spinach.

Check back next month when we’ll be sharing part 2 of Nutrition and Surgery series.

If you need help, then please get in touch here for a free assessment. You can then come and visit us at one of our many clinics and we can get your dietary health back on track.

Gillian Killiner – Lead Dietitian and Director at 121 Dietitian. 121 Dietitian is an award winning nutritional consultancy company based in Belfast. Clinics are available in Belfast and worldwide via Skype.